RESEARCHERS have called for a review of mental health services in Scotland after uncovering inequalities in the way they are used by different ethnic groups.

The number of people hospitalised for mental health problems differs significantly between ethnic groups, a team from Edinburgh University found.

People from some minority groups may not be using the appropriate services until they are seriously ill, they concluded.

The study, the first of its kind in Scotland, looked at hospital admissions for psychiatric disorders, mood disorders such as depression and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia between 2001 and 2008.

In most minority groups, people who went to hospital were shown to be significantly more likely to be treated under the mental health act.

Services should be reviewed to ensure all ethnic groups have access to the best preventative care and treatment at an early stage, the researchers said.

Dr Narinder Bansal, of the university's Centre for Population Health Sciences, said: "Studying ethnic variations in psychiatric hospital admission enables us to identify and monitor inequalities in mental health care.

"We hope that this study will inform politicians and doctors' decisions about how treatment is best delivered and planned for, to ensure equal access to early care.

Difficulties in diagnosing and treating mental illness among minority groups at an early stage could help explain the findings, researchers said.

A lack of awareness of the support services available and a reluctance to seek medical help due to social stigma in minority groups may also have contributed, they added.

The study, which is published in the journal Ethnicity and Health, was supported by the Scottish Government's Chief Scientist Office, NHS Health Scotland and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.